NEW: Cost of gas plant scandal more than doubles to over $3B, hitting ratepayers
It turns out the $1.2 billion price tag revealed by the Auditor General in 2015 for the Liberal gas plant scandal is just the beginning. Now ratepayers will be on the hook for an additional $1.56 billion to pay for the replacement gas plants in Sarnia and Napanee, according to reports.
“The Liberals covered up the true cost of their desperate re-election ploy in 2011, leading to a court trial this fall. But it turns out the true cost of this scandal is far higher,” said Ontario PC Energy Critic Todd Smith. “This only means one thing and one thing only: when you get your bill, you’ll see that this reckless Liberal scandal is costing you more.”
The news comes on the heels of a cabinet document leaked by the Ontario PCs revealing that hydro rates will skyrocket under Kathleen Wynne’s unfair hydro scheme.
“When you have families across Ontario choosing to heat or eat, you’d think it would be a wake-up call for the Liberal government to come clean,” added Smith. “But here they go again, caught red-handed hiding the doubling of the cost of the gas plant scandal.”
By the numbers:
- $360 million: Cost of new Sarnia gas plant
- $1.2 billion: Cost of new Napanee gas plant
- $1.2 billion: Cost of 2011 gas plant cancellation
- 5: Number of OPP investigations the Liberal government is under